Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly called for Israel to be wiped off the map:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly called for Israel to be wiped off the map.

"The establishment of the Zionist regime was a move by the world oppressor against the Islamic world," the president told a conference in Tehran on Wednesday, entitled The World without Zionism.

"The skirmishes in the occupied land are part of a war of destiny. The outcome of hundreds of years of war will be defined in Palestinian land," he said.

"As the Imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map," said Ahmadinejad, referring to Iranīs revolutionary leader Ayat Allah Khomeini.

His comments were the first time in years that such a high-ranking Iranian official has called for Israelīs eradication, even though such slogans are still regularly used at governmentrallies.

Call for unityAddressing about 4000 students gathered in an Interior Ministry conference hall, Ahmadinejad also called for Palestinian unity, resistance and a point "where the annihilation of the Zionist regime will come".

"The Islamic umma (community) will not allow its historic enemy to live in its heartland," he said in the fiery speech that centred on a "historic war between the oppressor and the world of Islam".

The term "oppressor" is used by the clerical government to refer to the United States.

"We should not settle for a piece of land," he said of Israelīs pullout from the Gaza Strip.

"Anyone who signs a treaty which recognises the entity of Israel means he has signed the surrender of the Muslim world," Ahmadinejad said.

"Any leaders in the Islamic umma who recognise Israel face the wrath of their own people."

Ahmadinejad, a veteran of Iranīs hardline Revolutionary Guards, took office in August after scoring a landslide win in a June presidential election.

His tone represents a major change from that of former president Mohammad Khatami, whose favoured topic was "dialogue among civilisations" and who led an effort to improve Iranīs relations with the West.

But Ahmadinejad instead spoke of a "historic war".

"It dates backs hundreds of years. Sometimes Islam has advanced. Sometimes nobody was winning. Unfortunately over the past 300 years, the world of Islam has been in retreat," he lamented.

"One hundred years ago the last trench of Islam fell, when the oppressors went towards the creation the Zionist regime. It is using it as a fort to spread its aims in the heart of the Islamic world."

In September, Bahrain announced it was ending a decades-old law banning trade ties with Israel. Earlier this month, Qatar said it was donating US$6 million to help build a soccer stadium for a mixed Arab-Jewish team, the first such financial assistance by an Arab state for any town inside Israel.

The modest but unprecedented steps were seen as a response to Israelīs withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in September. Nevertheless, Ahmadinejad said, "There is no doubt that the new wave (of attacks) in Palestine will soon wipe off this disgraceful blot (Israel) from the face of the Islamic world."

"Ahmadinejad has clearly declared the doctrine of his government. He is returning Iran to the revolutionary goals it was pursuing in the 1980s," said Mohammad Sadeq Hosseini, an expert on Middle Eastern affairs. "By these comments, Ahmadinejad is committing himself to those goals. He is also sending the message that his government wonīt back down."

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev issued a vague response. "Today, Israelis heard two extremists speak openly about destroying the Jewish state. One was the new president of Iran, and the other was the leader of Hamas, Mahmoud Zahar.

"And it appears the problem with these extremists is that they followed through on their violent declarations with violent actions."

The United States said Ahmadinejadīs remarks proved the accuracy of Washingtonīs fears about Iranīs contentious nuclear programme.

"I think it reconfirms what we have been saying about the regime in Iran. It underscores the concerns we have about Iranīs nuclear intentions," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. Ebrahim Yazdi, a former Iranian foreign minister, said Ahmadinejadīs remarks harmed Iran.

"Such comments provoke the international community against us. Itīs not to Iranīs interests at all. Itīs harmful to Iran to make such a statement," he said.

He said the comments gave Israel justification for urging the world to take a tougher stand against Iran and refer its nuclear programme to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions

Re: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly called for Israel to be wiped off the map

I am so tired of this middle east shit. I mean Iraq was too much. I feel that at least us being in Iraq helps in some way and brings stability to the region.

Now suddenly there are suiide bombs in Israel and Iran is saying the same shit as Hussien did.

If we have anything to do with Iran I will vote for the person that promises not to go to war. I just do not want to go to war with Iran. Let Israel wipe them off the map, let Iran wipe Israel off the map. Just make sure the missiles do not hit bagdad and stay out of it.

We helped Israel out a lot, too much I say. I just want out of there now. There is no way to solve this problem until one or the other is gone. I am becoming so anti-israeli because it seems we are over there for them and even though we are strong it is still a lot of work and heart ache. Bush better not get involved with Iran. They are terrorists and dumbfucks but leave htis alone. NO MORE WAR.

Re: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly called for Israel to be wiped off the map

They do not like Israel. No shit. After nearly 20,000 wounded between Afghanistan and Iraq I say just let them at eachother. I am goddamn sick of helping Israel and we really do not get anything in return. Iran is wrong to act this way but we better not go to war with them or I will personally join Cindy Sheehan in protest.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia were a lot of work but most people there want freedom. Iran is different. I do not want American troops going to war with Iran for Israel. It is not our problem and I if we pull the same shit with Iran then it will be some other dipshit country like Syria that starts paying suicide bombers and talking like this.

We need to stop fighting for Israel. I want peace but it is not our job. I am so upset.

Re: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly called for Israel to be wiped off the map

First they elect President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad then it comes out he use to be a terrorist. Now a suicide bomb goes off in Israel after he makes a speech announcing that there would be more attacks! Now he says Israel needs to be wiped off the map.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is stupid but this is Israelīs problem. Saddam Hussien said and did similar things and after we invaded it stopped. Yes, there is freedom and hope and no suicide bombs in Israel. After 2,000 deaths and a host of problems. Bush (on behalf of Israel) better not pull the same stunt in Iran.

Bring the troops home once Iraq is more stable. Keep an American base in Iraq and Afghanistan with good protection and a good escape route if TSHTF. Always help with money and education but leave Iran the hell alone!!! If Israel begins to have the same problems they better fix it. We are too closely associated with that country.

Re: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly called for Israel to be wiped off the map

I just donīt understand why there is still such a Tribal-type mentality permeating The Mideast.Its the 2ist century, for Gods Sake

I realize the VAST history of aggression & oppression on ALL sides that has fanned the flames forever there....But youīd think everyone would get so fed up with their Ancestors; their grandparents; their parents; their BABIES dying.

I donīt think ANY 3rd party could help this situation... Its like Neaderthals with Electricy & Explosives

Re: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly called for Israel to be wiped off the map

"Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don´t worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it." - Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, October 3, 2001, to Shimon Peres, as reported on Kol Yisrael radio.

Re: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly called for Israel to be wiped off the map

<<I just don´t understand why there is still such a Tribal-type mentality permeating The Mideast.Its the 2ist century, for Gods Sake<<

Tribal is an extended family system. Something we in the USA have no clue about as we deem the nuclear family to be of the utmost importance. And we in the USA are such a mix of bloodlines and families that we Americans have next to no sense of belonging to a family, much less of belonging to an extended family, and even less of belonging to a tribe. With the exception of the Native American Indians, who have kept with their tribal, i.e., extended family mentality.

ANd yet we American espouse so much about "family values", but our nuclear family dissolves at the basic level even of 1st cousins hardly even know very much about each other.

So, tribal mentality is understandable in other cultures, America will never know what it is to be a Nation, only a Country. A nation is made up of a greately expanded tribe of people all having a common set of ancestors.

Re: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has openly called for Israel to be wiped off the map

I totally agree. Let Israel and Iran fight. I do not care anymore. I feel we have done too much for Israel as it is and nothing came of it but eartache from the their own JEWISH controlled media.

Fortunatley, I do not think Iran is as important to Bush as Iraq was for so many different reasons. Oil, revenge and the invisible weapons of mass destruction. Also Iraq was a big threat to Israel. Iran is just not in the cards right now. Too much has gone wrong with Iraq to invade its neighbor Iran.